A Petty Riddle
by Kandell
Summary: This started out as a drabble thingy, but I really liked the idea, and my friend is head over heels for Tom Riddle Jr., so here's to you, Meech! From the author formerly known as zutarataang4eva.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This is a continuation of a story that I started through my drabble ((titled "Drabbles")) in which a certain Michelle Petty, third year Hufflepuff, is blackmailed into being Tom Riddle Jr.'s servant. **

**A Petty Riddle**

Waking with a start, Michelle Petty whipped her head around, taking in her surroundings. Realizing she was in the restricted section of the library, her mind filled in the blanks. She had fallen asleep while studying for her Charms exam. Michelle sighed, rubbing her eyes and brushing her short brown hair out of her face. She closed her books and began gathering her parchment and quills, absentmindedly loosening her gold and black tie. Standing, Michelle pulled the strap of her messenger bag over her shoulder and froze. She heard hissing. And it was growing louder. Michelle's eyes widened, her breathing quickened, and she turned to run- right into something solid. She landed on the stone floor with an undignified "Oof!" and her bag spilled its contents. But as Michelle's eyes met those of the solid something, she lost care for her spilled possessions. Before her stood a very cross looking Tom Riddle.

"I…uh…I…" Michelle tried to make a coherent sentence, but her brain failed her.

"You're out past curfew, little Hufflepuff." Michelle gulped. If there was anything that Slytherins hated, it was her house.

"I was studying, and I…fell asleep I'm sorry I'll get to my dorm straight away!" She began scooping up her belongings and shoving them unceremoniously into her schoolbag. She froze when Tom's large hand landed on her own hands, easily holding the both of them. She gulped, hoping to suppress the blush creeping up her body. She glanced up through her bangs at the Slytherin, who was staring at her intensely. She had always found him attractive, if not slightly evil, and now, bathed in moonlight, he looked positively magical. His skin looked like marble, and his features flowed flawlessly. His eyes were dark, and held an emotion that Michelle could not recognize. "I.."

"Tell me, Hufflepuff, do you like riddles?"

"Um…It depends," Michelle was growing more nervous by the moment.

"Let's make a deal. A bet. If you can solve my riddle, I won't tell the teachers you were out past curfew."

"And if not?" Michelle's voice squeaked involuntarily.

"If not, you're my personal slave for the rest of the year." Fear flashed through Michelle's mind. She could only imagine the horrible things he would make her do. Iron his socks, do his homework, or- god forbid- cut his toenails.

She gulped and managed to squeak out, "Okay."

Tom smirked and leaned back on his heels. "What's black, blue, and red all over?"

Was he really asking such a generic riddle?

"A newspaper?" she ventured. Fear panged in her stomach when he leaned forward, still smirking.

"Wrong."

"Wha- what do you mean? What's the answer?"

"The answer is a blushing Maureen Connelly." Oh god. He was referring to one of the Ravenclaw girls. Maureen was one of the most spirited, school spirited, that is, girls in the school. She also blushed at almost anything.

"That's not fair!" Michelle cried. "How was I supposed to know you were talking about a person?"

"It's a riddle. Now, slave, get to your dorm. You're going to need a good night's sleep if you're going to be able to do my laundry."

"You are so petty!"

"A petty Riddle? Never." He turned to leave, but stopped and turned back to face Michelle. "Isn't Petty your last name?"

"Uh, yeah, but I meant petty as in-"

"Goodnight, Hufflepuff. I'll see you in the morning."

Michelle was practically shaking. She was on her way to the Slytherin common room, for the first time in her life, to do whatever Tom Riddle Jr. told her to do. She knew he had something diabolical planned…oh god. She was going to have to shave his back. Michelle stopped in her tracks, horrified at the thought. Then she wondered if he actually _had_ back hair. His face was flawless, and he never had facial hair other than his eyebrows and eyelashes, but she'd never seen much skin other than his face. She had once caught a glimpse of his bare forearms in the potions room, when he was working on an assignment he missed. He'd had his sleeves rolled up, giving her a perfect view, but she hadn't been very close, and Snape had been yelling at her. Michelle remembered that she had to get to the Slytherin common room within the next three minutes. She walked quickly to the dungeons and knocked on the common room door.

"You're late," the door swung open to reveal Tom. He slouched against the door frame and crossed his arms over his chest. Michelle stared. The top four buttons of his shirt were undone, and she could see a few inches of his porcelain chest. "Are you coming in or not?" Michelle snapped out of her hypnosis and stuttered an apology as she shuffled through the doorway.

Once through, Michelle stood holding her arms, shifting her weight and looking around the common room uneasily. She had decided against wearing her house colors, hoping to avoid any malicious behavior from Tom's house-mates, which left her dressed in muggle jeans and a Cobra Starship t-shirt.

"So, um…what do you want me to do?" Michelle muttered, staring at the floor. She subconsciously rubbed her arm, avoiding eye contact.

"Well, since you were too dumb to solve my simple riddle, I can't give you anything that will require too much thinking." She could hear the smirk through his voice. "Why don't you start with-"

"Laundry?" Michelle interjected.

"First, never interrupt me again," Tom scowled at the petite brunette, "Second, the house elves do the laundry."

"So what do you want me to do?"

"Don't use that tone with me." What was he, her mother? "And you will refer to me as 'Sir' or 'Your Highness'."

"What?" Michelle wasn't all that surprised, but she was livid. "Who do you think you are?" She was glaring into his eyes, her hands curled into fists.

"I'm your lord and master," Tom hissed, looming over her by a good six inches, "and you will show me the proper respect."

"You're not my 'lord' or my 'master', you're just a selfish boy who enjoys making girls squirm." Michelle squared her shoulders, straightening her posture and glaring defiantly into his eyes. She saw his mouth twitch, but didn't anticipate what came next. Tom grabbed her arms, picked her up off of her feet and plopped her on the leather couch.

"You lost, fair and square, you will accept the consequences!" he roared. Michelle was pale. She had seen him be mean to people, but she had never seen him this angry. Tom closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "You're job for right now is to alphabetically organize my books. Go," he pointed to the staircase which led down to the boys' dormitory. Michelle silently stood and walked to the stairs.

"Um…which…"

"I'll show you," he grunted, sweeping past and leading her down to the bottom level. He opened a door to reveal a room containing five beds, five dressers, and five bookcases. "That's mine." He pointed to the bed across the room, which was strewn with books of all sizes and colors. Some lay open, while some were halfway under the bed, on their way to forgotteness. "Just put them on my shelf, make sure their alphabetized."

Michelle nodded and Tom left the room, closing the door firmly behind him. She was all alone. Turning to face her task, she strode over to the piles of literature and sat on the bed. It was surprisingly soft. She picked up the books, read the titles, and began organizing them. It was actually rather pleasant.

She had organized all of the books within her reach, so she sat on the floor to work on the new titles. It was surprising how much Tom must've read. In all of the books that she had arranged, she hadn't run across a single textbook.

Picking up a book that was almost completely underneath Tom's bed, Michelle's eyes scanned the cover. The door opened, quite suddenly, and Tom walked in. Michelle caught a glimpse of the clock and saw that she had been there for an hour. Tom didn't seem to notice her, and proceeded to take his shirt off. Michelle averted her eyes and spoke up.

"What's a horcrux?"

Tom whipped around to see her, his face close to its normal expression, with a bit of surprise in his eyes.

"What?" he demanded.

"A horcrux. I was organizing your books, and this title says 'Explanation and Creation of Horcruxes'. Is it some sort of charm?"

Tom ripped the book from her hand. "Get out."

"But I-"

"Get out! You're finished for today!"

Michelle blinked a few times before pushing herself off of the floor and hurrying out of the room.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The day after Tom's hissy fit, Michelle wasn't sure if she was supposed to return to the Slytherin common room. He had told her she was done for the day, but he had failed to give her a time to arrive. So, being a Saturday morning, she let herself sleep in, dressed in khaki shorts, rhinestoned flip flops, and layered pink and purple tank tops. She wore beaded bracelets that her friend Regina, a Gryffindor third-year, had made her a few weeks ago. Michelle grabbed a few pieces of toast and left the Great Hall, deciding to eat outside since the sun was shining. She didn't notice Hanalynn Thomas follow her…

Michelle arrived under her favorite tree and began munching her toast. She was so caught up in listening to the birds that she didn't notice the short Slytherin fourth-year approaching.

"Hey!" Hanalynn yelled.

Michelle looked up, "Can I help you?"

"What the bloody hell were you doing in Tom's room?"

"I uh…I…" Michelle had no idea how to respond. If she lied, she would be found out. If she told the truth, she would be ridiculed.

"Quit stuttering, Hufflepuff!" she crossed her arms.

"I was organizing his books."

"So that's what the muggles are calling it nowadays?" the fourth-year's eyes narrowed.

"No, really, I was just organizing his books!"

Hanalynn leaned down, inches from Michelle's face, "If you're lying to me, I'll find out. Tom tells me _everything_."

Michelle stared as the girl stalked off to join some other Slytherins chatting near the lake. Hanalynn and Tom weren't dating, to the best of Michelle's knowledge, but they did seem awfully close…Michelle stuffed the last bit of toast into her mouth and pushed herself to her feet, brushing some grass off of the back of her shorts. She meandered toward the Quidditch pitch, hoping to see some friends. Gryffindor was supposed to be practicing at the moment, so she might get to watch Samuel Gallagher. He was the keeper for the Gryffindor team, and she and Regina both liked him. On her way to the pitch, she met up with said third-year.

"Michelle!" Regina called, waving as she ran over.

"Hey Regina!"

"On your way to watch the practice?"

"Of course."

"Just remember, they're my house, so I've got dibs."

"Nu-uh!"

"Yeah-huh!" They playfully shoved each other, bursting out into laughter, and entered the stands.

The practice went well, and afterwards, Michelle, Regina and Samuel went for a walk. The girls had spent months making small talk with the seventh year, and were now confident enough to converse with him casually.

"So Samuel, are you excited for the new season?"

"You bet!"

"Who's your first match against?" Michelle glanced up at the boy. He was exceptionally handsome, with sandy blond hair, hazel eyes, and a healthy tan. His muscles were well-toned from his years of Quidditch, and they fit perfectly with his six foot four frame.

"Slytherin, of course. The season always starts off with the best teams. No offense," he added quickly after noticing Michelle's Hufflepuff colored tie.

"None taken. I know. We're not really the…well, we're bloody awful!" Michelle threw her hands in the air, chuckling. Samuel and Regina joined in, and after the laughter died, there were a few minutes of silence. Michelle was enjoying herself, even if there was no conversation. She was with her best friend and her biggest crush, the weather was beautiful, and there were no Slytherins around.

Or so she thought.

Mere seconds after the thought passed through her head, she saw Tom stalking toward them. His eyes were narrowed and he was scowling.

"Uh-oh…"

"Where the hell have you been?" Tom demanded, his voice much harsher than Michelle had expected.

"I-"

"Did you forget our agreement?"

Regina glanced between the two, her eyes wide, mouth open slightly. Samuel was equally confused.

"I thought that-"

"You really _can't_ think, can you?" the Slytherin growled. "Leave it to a Hufflepuff…"

"Hey," Samuel took a step so he was positioned between Tom and the two girls, "What's your problem?"

"My problem is that the Hufflepuff-"

"I have a name!"

"How many times must I tell you not to interrupt me?" Tom turned from Michelle back to Samuel, "The Hufflepuff and I had an agreement, and she tried to back out of it."

"I didn't try to back out of it, I-"

"You, don't speak!" Tom practically yelled, pointing at the now cowering girl.

"Lay off, Riddle! She doesn't answer to you!" Samuel widened his stance as Regina pulled Michelle backward, farther away from the two boys.

"Actually, she does!" The air was thick and silent as eyes, passionate hazel against venomous black, locked and battled. Regina and Michelle were huddled against a tree, holding their breath. Tom's lip twitched, and in a blur of movement, his fist connected with Samuel's jaw and the blond went down. Regina uttered a sound somewhere between a gasp and a scream, Michelle's jaw dropped, and the girls huddled closer together. Tom looked from Samuel, lying dazed on the ground, to the girls. His eyes were smoldering, his fists were clenched, and Regina collapsed.

"Oh my god what did you do to her?" Michelle shrieked.

"I didn't do anything," Tom rolled his eyes, annoyance dripping from his voice and tainting his otherwise perfect features. Michelle, instead of being scared, as would be rational, was now furious.

"You hurt my friends!"

"No, I hurt your boy-toy and your best friend fainted. They're idiots," he added, glancing at the two still figures.

"You think you can just do whatever you want and get away with it?" Michelle shrieked.

"No." He strode forward and loomed over her. "I _know_ I can get away with it." His voice was a whisper, but it was harsh and deadly. Michelle gulped, not able to break eye contact, and fought down a whimper. Tom grabbed Michelle by the upper arm and yanked her away from the tree. He dragged her across the grounds and all the way back to the castle. Michelle was afraid to go anywhere with him, but she was even more afraid of what he would do if she tried to get away. Yesterday's events were all too vivid in her mind, and she remembered how his lip twitched when she had been obstinate. How close had he been to hitting her?

They arrived in the Slytherin common room and Tom slammed the door closed.

"W-w-what do you want me to do?" Michelle stammered, staring at the floor. There was a moment of silence. She flicked her eyes up and saw he was staring at her. His eyes were still burning, and she felt her cheeks grow warm.

Tom silently regarded her for a few more moments before flopping on the couch and ordering, "Massage my feet." Michelle's eyes grew wide as she stared at his black leather shoes which he was now resting on the coffee table. "What are you waiting for, an engrave invitation?" he spat. Michelle gulped, perched on the coffee table beside his feet and pulled the laces. She slipped his shoes off of his feet and stared at his black socks. She gulped again and reached to massage them.

"Stop," Tom commanded. Michelle breathed a sigh of relief. He smiled wickedly, "Massage my feet without the socks." She paled, he smirked. "I'm waiting."

Michelle slowly pulled the socks from Tom's feet, stared at his pale flesh, gulped, and began to rub them. Tom closed his eyes and let his head fall back, releasing a quiet moan. Michelle continued to massage his feet, but her eyes wandered around the room. It was decorated lavishly with black wood and leather furniture, green drapes, and silver candelabras adorned the walls. Michelle's eyes fell on a bookcase holding many dark-bound books, they're titles scrawled in silver ink. She was intrigued and wanted to take a closer look, but didn't want to get in trouble. It wasn't until she heard Tom snoring lightly and felt his muscles completely relax that she dared to walk away.

She tiptoed to the bookshelf and ran her finger along the spines of the books. They had odd titles, and she found one shelf that was dedicated to Slytherin yearbooks. She found the book for the year before and pulled it off of the shelf. Flipping through it, she saw many familiar faces, including the one that had been full of rage just minutes ago. In his pictures, he had a completely composed expression, and didn't move very much. Except for one picture, on page two-hundred and twenty-one, where he was swaying, almost dancing, as a phonograph spun a record in the background. Michelle liked the picture. To her, it was proof that he had emotions other than anger, hate, and the usual clichés of an angsty teenage boy.

Before she could think to stop herself, Michelle ripped out the page, folded it up, and slipped it in her shorts' pocket. She heard Tom stir, and bolted back to the coffee table, leaping over the end table of an overstuffed armchair in the process. She slid her backside onto the table and started rubbing his feet mere seconds before his eyes fluttered open. The Slytherin glanced down at Michelle and blinked a few times, as if he was confused as to why she was rubbing his feet. But he must have remembered because his features relaxed.

"You can stop now," he sighed, running a hand through his dark hair and scratching his scalp. Michelle removed her hands from his feet and held them limply away from her body. Tom noticed this, but made no comment.

"So what am I supposed to do now?" Michelle asked.

"What did I tell you?"

"You told me to stop rubbing your feet."

"You are to call me 'Sir' or 'Your Highness'."

Michelle gaped. "Are you serious?"

"Excuse me?" he glared at her. She stared, mouth open, her head slightly tilted as she tried to understand what his problem was. Tom returned her stare, but his eyes held such intensity that Michelle felt awkward and had to look away. She fixed her eyes on a candelabra.

"What would you like me to do next, _sir_?" she practically spat the last word.

Tom smirked.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Michelle grumbled curses, insults, complaints, and hexes as she worked. Tom had ordered her to polish the wooden banisters on his canopy bed, but her height- or lack thereof- was proving difficult to work with.

She was straining, standing on her tiptoes, to polish the side of a wooden plank running the width of the bed. Her fingertips were clamped onto the top of the plank, and her neck was craned back to get a better view at her work. It was then that Tom entered, silently as usual, to grab a book. He saw Michelle stretching to reach her work, and his eyes skimmed over her body. Before he knew it he was standing right in front of her, looking up at her very unaware face.

It happened in a flash.

Michelle had been supporting herself mostly with her fingers, practically hanging from the wooden plank. But her strength gave out, causing her to lose her balance, slide on Tom's silky sheets, and topple down, down, down…onto the Slytherin. When she realized what had happened, and what she was sprawled across, her jaw dropped and her face paled.

"Oh my god," she catapulted herself off of him and backward onto his bed. "I'm so sorry! I was working and I couldn't quite reach so I had to stretch and I slipped and I fell and-" Tom covered her mouth with his hand. Michelle saw his eyes flash, and she fainted.

Michelle woke up on something soft. Wonderfully soft. And smooth. She kept her eyes closed and ran her hands along the silky fabric that she was laying on. Her cheek rubbed against the pillow and a smile slipped onto her face. How was this bed so soft? It was much softer than her bed in the Hufflepuff dorms…

Her eyes flashed open.

The sheets were black. The nightstand was black. The bookshelf was black. The blanket was green. Michelle scrambled out of the bed and backed across the room, staring at the area she had just been resting in. The events that preceded her blackout flashed through her mind, and she put two and two together. She was in Tom's room.

In Tom's _bed_…

"'Bout time you woke up." Michelle whirled around to see Tom in the doorway, a green apple in his hand.

"What the bloody hell is going on? Why did I wake up in your bed?" Michelle's eyes, that had been narrowed, suddenly widened. "What the blood hell did you do to me?" She had subconsciously taken a step back.

Tom rolled his eyes, "Don't flatter yourself, Mudblood."

"What did you call me?" her hands clenched into fists, but stayed at her sides.

"You heard me." He strode over to her, "What, you want to hit me?"

Michelle remembered how he had taken Samuel down with one punch. Most guys would never hit a girl, but this was a Slytherin. This was _Tom Riddle_. Michelle swallowed, took a breath, and loosened her fists. Tom smirked.

"Now that's more like it."

"Why was I in your bed?" Michelle demanded.

"Because I didn't bother to move you after you fell." Tom crossed his arms across his chest and cocked his head to the left as he shifted his weight to his right leg.

"You're a wizard. It's not like you'd have to do any real work," Michelle crossed her arms and shifted her weight to her left leg, mirroring Tom's stance.

"It wasn't worth my time," Tom tilted his chin down, his tone suggesting that the subject be dropped.

"Whatever."

"Now," Tom passed Michelle, taking a bite of his apple, "I want you to polish my shoes and match my socks." He pulled a drawer open to reveal a jumble of black socks, then turned and strode past the Hufflepuff and to the door. "Hop to," he commanded, not bothering to look at her.

Michelle huffed and turned to face the open drawer. She pulled it out of the dresser and dumped its contents on the bed. Sitting down, she crossed her legs and began pairing socks and folding them together.

Michelle left the Slytherin common room and walked briskly toward the Great Hall for dinner. Why the hell would anyone need three pairs of black leather shoes and forty-two pairs of identical black socks? Shrugging off the horrible day she had just been through, she entered the Great Hall to find it almost empty. There were no Hufflepuffs to be found, and only a handful of students dispersed across the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables.

Michelle sighed and sat down alone, helping herself to some turkey and stuffing. No sooner had she started to eat than Tom Riddle appeared next to her.

"You'd better be finished with your work."

"Do you mind? I'm eating," Michelle glared up at the Slytherin.

"How dare you talk to me like that, you filthy little mud-"

"Is there a problem here?" Both students looked up to see Kelly Logan, a fifth year Gryffindor. She was a tall American with long auburn hair and hazel eyes. She had a pale complexion and a lean build, and an attitude the size of Texas.

"It's none of your concern, Yank." Tom's icy glare was now focused on Kelly.

"It is when a dick like you is picking on a girl half your size."

Michelle's eyes widened and she turned to see Tom's reaction.

He stepped toward the Gryffindor, "You should remember your place."

Kelly stepped sideways, in between Tom and Michelle. "My place is wherever I need to be to protect others."

Michelle turned to see that the students in the Great Hall had stopped talking and turned to watch the showdown. She turned back to the two older students right in front of her.

"One of these days, Yank, you're going to regret ever speaking to me disrespectfully."

"I'll put it on my calendar."

Tom turned and left, his fellow Slytherins hurrying to join him as he left the Great Hall. Kelly turned back to Michelle and sat down next to her.

"You alright?"

"Yeah," Michelle replied. "I can't believe you got away with that."

"I didn't, really. I'll probably go upstairs to find a snake in my bed or something equally dramatic," the older girl shrugged. She noticed Michelle's confused expression and stated, "It's not the first time I've pissed him off."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Michelle woke up and nearly had a heart attack. Looming over her was Tom Riddle. His alabaster skin practically glowed in the moonlight coming through the dorm window. At first she thought he was an illusion because he seemed impossibly still, but her theory was shattered when he blinked.

"Can I help you?" she squeaked.

"I told you before that you are never to be disrespectful to me. Especially not in public."

Michelle shrank back under her covers, pulling them up to her nose, and whimpered as Tom leaned down toward her. What villainous curse did he have up his sleeve?

Michelle's thoughts were frozen as a smooth, strong hand grabbed her blanket and pulled it down to her waist. Tom's other hand found its place next to Michelle's pillow. Try as she might, Michelle couldn't move. She couldn't speak. She was absolutely frozen in fear. Tom's face moved closer to her own as he leaned farther, his expression unreadable, but unwavering. In one swift, fluid motion, Tom had pressed his lips against Michelle's. The hand he had used to pull her blanket away found its way around her waist, pulling her up from the bed.

Once she was in a sitting position, Tom sat down on her bed, pulling her on his lap, his hands running down her sides. Michelle was too shocked to think, much less resist or cooperate. She was a limp doll in his hands until she felt him nip at her bottom lip. She gasped, and he took the opportunity, slipping his tongue past her lips and exploring her mouth. Michelle had never been kissed before, much less like this. Her shock only increased as a cool hand slipped under her shirt to rest on her lower back, his slender fingers pulling her body closer to his. In one smooth movement, Tom turned and leaned down, so Michelle was laying on her back, with him lingering over her small body. His lips left hers and his mouth moved to the right, kissing the area where Michelle's jaw met her neck. A soft moan escaped her lips and she felt him smirk against her skin.

Tom continued to trail kisses down Michelle's neck to her collarbone, pausing to kiss the hollow of her throat. His lips hovered over her skin as he slid a hand under her shirt and up her waist. Michelle closed her eyes, resting her head on her pillow, and Tom leaned in.

"Continue to disrespect me, and you will never feel like this again." His hand slid away from her skin.

Michelle woke with a start to find that all of her roommates were sleeping soundly. She fell back into her bed, running her hand through her hair. Why did she just have a dream about Tom Riddle? More importantly, why did her dream turn out like _that_? She stood and walked to the bathroom, turned on the sink, and splashed some cool water on her face. Drying her skin with a soft towel, she glanced at the mirror and froze. She stepped closer to the mirror and leaned slightly, pulling the collar of her pajama shirt to the side. There, almost completely hidden by her clothing, was a mark shaped like a snake.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Michelle peeked out from behind the portrait of the fat lady, checking to see if the hall was clear. No Tom Riddle in sight. She stepped out, exhaling a breath of relief, only to jump halfway over the railing as the aforementioned Slytherin's voice came from behind her.

"You wouldn't be trying to get away from your duties, would you, Hufflepuff?" There was anger in his voice, and Michelle fumbled to plant her feet on the landing. In her surprise, she had jumped up and away from Tom, and found herself laying across the railing. Her arms were latched around the banister and her legs were flailing above her head, and try as she might, she couldn't manage to right herself.

With a huff, Tom reached over the railing and wrapped his arms around Michelle's small waist, pulling her back onto solid ground.

"Sometimes I think you aren't worth the trouble." Tom glared down at her, making Michelle fidget.

"Sorry…" Why was she apologizing? She hadn't done it on purpose. "How'd you sneak up on me?"

Tom's eyes smiled as a smug grin crawled across his face. "Disillusionment charm. You Wouldn't have learned that one yet." Michelle nodded.

"So what do you want me to do?" She looked up at the older boy, her brown eyes reflecting the light from a candelabra on the wall. Tom's mouth parted slightly before he blinked, closing his mouth.

"I need you," he cleared his throat, rubbing his neck, "to dust my furniture."

"Fine."

Tom paused. "Off you go." He waved her off toward the dungeons.

Michelle had been dusting for half an hour, and was positive that Tom was behind all of the problems. She had entered the room to find a thick layer of dust covering all of Tom's possessions. She had tried a spell to clean it all up, but to her dismay, it had been ineffective. As a response to her attempts, she found a feather duster sitting on Tom's pillow…accompanied by a French maid uniform. Michelle opted to stay in her clothes, but did use the duster. It was then that she began having day dreams of a swiffer duster. With each stroke, she sent clouds of dust into the air, which clogged her nose and mouth, causing her to sneeze rather violently. There was dust on her clothes, in her hair, and even more on the furniture. She knew that a curse was responsible for this. As an exceptionally powerful sneeze took hold, Michelle found herself lurching forward only to hit her head on the nightstand. She fell back onto the floor, colors flashing in front of her eyes. The rainbow cleared to reveal Tom standing over her. She wasn't sure, but she could have sworn that he looked worried. As she blinked the fuzziness from her vision, his expression morphed back to its stoic perfection.

"You could've made this a lot easier on yourself," he sighed.

"Easier? How the hell could this have easier? You hexed the furniture!" Michelle was now on her feet, stalking toward the tall boy with each word.

"It was only hexed because you didn't do the job right," Tom crossed his arms over his chest, inclining his head to the right.

"What?"

Tom's eyes flicked toward the dress, untouched on his bed. Michelle followed his gaze.

"You have got to be kidding me." She looked back to the Slytherin and saw him smirking down at her. "There is _no_ way-"

Tom raised his eyebrows, his eyes hardening into a glare.

"I mean…I don't think…That is to say…"

Tom tilted his head down, as if trying to hear her better.

"I'll change." Michelle growled out. She turned toward the bed and took a few steps.

"That's a good Mudblood."

Michelle froze and clenched her hands into fists. She whirled around, stepped forward, and punched Tom right in the face.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: I know that lately the chapters have been shorter, but I'm trying to make sure that I update somewhat regularly. Please please please please review and let me know what you think of this story!!**

Chapter 6

Tom stared at Michelle.

She felt like she was going to throw up. "I…you…can't…me…call…" she squeaked.

Tom stalked forward, his dark eyes burning down at the small Hufflepuff. He reached out, grabbed Michelle by the upper arm, and yanked her roughly against his chest. Her vision swam as butterflies dive-bombed her stomach. She knew, she just knew, that Tom was going to kill her. Michelle's fight or flight instinct kicked in, and, knowing she wouldn't be able to win against the older, taller, stronger boy, she tried to pull free and book it. But her attempts got her nowhere, and she felt Tom's other hand on the small of her back, anchoring her against him. This was it. Her life flashed before her eyes. Family holidays, her early birthdays, spending four months living with her great aunt Millie. Now that was a memory she could've done without. As the flashbacks ended, Michelle's vision revealed Tom's face, his eyes blazing. She couldn't help it. She blacked out.

"Michelle? Are you alright?" A girl's voice echoed through the dark, and Michelle opened her eyes. Kelly Logan was staring down at her. "Michelle?"

"I think I'm alright…" Michelle sat up, running a hand through her hair. She was still in the Slytherin dormitories. "How'd you get in here?" she turned to Kelly.

"Oh, me? I…uh…Was just passing by, and-"

"You were passing by the Slytherin boy's dormitories?"

"Well, not exactly, I mean, I was passing through the dungeons, and-"

"Hey Kell-Bell, is your friend alright?" Kelly paled as Michelle looked past her to see a shirtless boy standing in the doorway. She recognized him immediately. Dark skin, tall, exceedingly good-looking. Zane Zabini. Michelle looked back at Kelly, who whirled around.

"Zane! What're you doing here?"

"Kell-Bell-"

"My name's Kelly, Zane. Just 'cuz we're partners in potions doesn't mean you can give me all sorts of nicknames."

"Uh-"

"And why are you shirtless? Cover it up, boy! Someone might think you were-"

"Kelly, are dating a Slytherin?" Michelle interjected.

Kelly turned back to the younger girl, her eyes wide and worried. "Psh, what? Dating? A Slytherin? I'm a Gryffindor, silly. That'd be just…Dating a…Zane?...You're…Just…That's…"

"Yeah, you're dating a Slytherin."

"Stay out of this, Zane," Kelly whipped her head between the two before settling on Michelle, "Are you alright? Why were you on the floor?"

"…No idea." Michelle looked at Tom's furniture to see it was completely dust-free. "I should get back to my dorm."

"Yeah, probably." Kelly helped Michelle to her feet and led her to the door. As Michelle walked away, Zane sidled up to Kelly, wrapping his arms around her waist and nuzzling her cheek. The young Hufflepuff turned back to wave, and saw Kelly smacking Zane on the forehead, trying to act surprised by his actions. Michelle shook her head, smirking, and returned to her room.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Michelle had arrived in her dorm right in time for curfew. As she changed for bed, her friend Magdalene entered the room.

"Hey Meech!" Only Hufflepuffs ever used that nickname. Only Hufflepuffs were _allowed_ to.

"Hi Maggie."

"Did you get a tattoo?" Magdalene leaned down to look at the serpentine mark on Michelle's chest.

"No," Michelle gently pushed Magdalene away, "it's-"

"Is that a hickey?" Magdalene nearly screamed.

"No! Well, I don't exactly know, I mean-"

"Whoa, Meech, did you get a tattoo?" Sandra, an older girl in Michelle's dorm, walked in.

"No, it's a hickey!" Magdalene's eyes were wide and excited. Sandra walked over to stare at the mark on Michelle's body.

"Wow, that takes some serious skill! But a snake? Are you sleeping with a Slytherin?"

"You know, she's been spending a lot of time in the dungeons."

"Oh my god, who is it?"

"I saw her talking to Tom Riddle earlier."

"YOU'RE SLEEPING WITH TOM RIDDLE?" Every single girl in the Hufflepuff dorms screamed in unison. Through the conversation, five other girls had joined, and now Michelle was feeling outnumbered.

"I'm not sleeping with him," she squeaked.

"So what's he like in bed?"

"What does he look like shirtless?"

"How often do you guys do it?"

"Does this mean you're in a relationship?"

"I can't believe he'd be in a relationship with a Hufflepuff!"

"I know! He's always been so rude!"

"Do you two have pet names?"

Michelle couldn't take it.

She screamed…

And ran out of the dorm, out of the common room, and up to the astronomy tower. She sat against the railing and closed her eyes.

"They're psychotic," she mumbled.

"_You're_ the one talking to yourself."

Michelle's eyes snapped open and darted to the source of the voice. Of course. Tom Riddle.

"Out after curfew again. Did you learn nothing from your first infraction?" he stepped toward Michelle, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I just had to get out of my dorm…" Michelle did _not_ want to explain the preceding events. Tom crouched in front of Michelle, cutting off any escape that didn't involve jumping off of the astronomy tower.

Tom reached forward and brushed his cool fingers across Michelle's skin. Since she had been changing for bed, she was wearing a light pink camisole, which didn't cover as much as she would have preferred. Tom slid a strap off of Michelle's shoulder, fully revealing the snake on her chest. His eyes lingered on the image as the girl's breathing became shallow. Tom slid his gaze to meet Michelle's eyes and leaned forward. His lips brushed against hers as an arm snaked around her waist, pressing the small of her back, pulling her forward into his chest.

She wasn't exactly sure how it happened, but Tom managed to roll Michelle to the side and onto her back, so he was now on top of her. One arm remained holding Michelle while the other found its way to her neck, gently holding the girl's lips against his. Michelle managed to recover from her surprise, but wasn't sure what she should do. Here she was, with a very attractive albeit rude, inconsiderate and very mean young man. And to add to that, he was kissing her. And _now_ he was feeling her up. While she was in her thoughts, Tom had slid his hand from the small of Michelle's back down her hip and down to her thigh. He bent her leg and slid his hand back up her thigh to her backside, pulling Michelle's hips against his…


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Again, shorter chapter, but I want to keep the plot moving. Please please please review!!**

Chapter 8

"Meech, it's time for breakfast." No response. Magdalene tried again, poking the lump under Michelle's blanket. "Meech?" Pulling the covers aside, Magdalene saw a body shaped pile of pillows. "What the…?"

Michelle curled her body into a ball. Why was she so cold? Why was she on the floor? She opened her eyes…Why was she on top of the astronomy tower? The young Hufflepuff sat up, her eyes darting back and forth. And then she remembered the previous night. Her jaw dropped. How could she have…Why would he…What was going on? Looking down, Michelle realized that she was wearing her pajamas, and she could be discovered at any moment. She stood and walked toward the door, reaching for the handle as it swung open to reveal Tom Riddle.

"I see you're up."

"Last night we-"

"I know. I was there too." Tom walked through the doorway, locking the door behind him. He pulled out a paper bag and opened it, allowing the smell of fresh-baked bagels to permeate the air.

"Breakfast?" Michelle asked, even more confused.

"Yeah." Tom held the bag out in her direction. She selected an asiago bagel and took a small bite as Tom sat against the railing.

"Okay, we need to talk," Michelle sat across from the older boy. "Last night we-"

"Yes, I know."

"Well what does that mean? And, you brought me breakfast. That's not something a jerk does after a one night stand…"

"Trust me, I don't intend on leaving this a one night stand," Tom leaned his head back.

"You mean-"

"Don't expect mushy hand-holding candlelit dinners with cupids flittering about."

"Oh, no, not at all…"

"And I'm not going to dress to match you."

"I wouldn't ask you to."

"And don't ever ask me to kill spiders for you."

"Well of course not, that's what I've got magic for."

"I just won't do it because they're creepy."

"So this means we're-"

"I swear to Merlin, if you gossip about this or get all giddy or start drawing hearts around my name, I'll-"

"I'm not that kind of girl," Michelle said, mentally kicking herself for all of the notebooks she had that were decorated with initials of those that she had liked.

"Well as long as we have an understanding."

There were a few minutes of awkward silence, then…

"Why do you like me?" Michelle blurted out.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Well you're clever, handsome...I asked you first."

Tom sighed. "You're pretty, tenacious, and…there's something in your eyes," Tom tilted his head down to look at the small girl. "I can't put my finger on it. But your eyes are…an escape of sorts."

The two held eye contact for several moments before the door burst open and Kelly, closely followed by Zane, entered the astronomy tower lookout. Kelly was giggling and hands were roaming as their lips met and the door closed behind them. Kelly tripped on a step and the two toppled to the floor, landing right in front of Michelle and Tom.

"Ohmigod," Kelly muttered, blinking at the upside down couple. "This is not what it looks like."

"Come off it," Tom rolled his eyes. "I get the same bloody excuse every time I catch you two in my bed."

"Your bed?" Michelle gaped.

"It's hard to distinguish in the dark," Kelly muttered.

"Or when you're drunk," Zane added.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Michelle Petty was dating Tom Riddle. _Tom Riddle_. She could barely believe it herself. It had been a week since their morning conversation, and they'd actually acted like a couple a few times. He'd brought her lunch in the library, hadn't made her do any chores, and he held her hand while he was reading. Michelle sighed as she walked down the hallway.

"I told you, don't get all girly on me," Tom joined her. A group of Ravenclaw girls stared longingly as they passed the couple, heading the opposite direction.

"I'm not. I just remembered some homework that I need to do…" Tom looked at her for a moment, then turned his eyes back to look ahead of him.

"I got you something."

"You got me a present?"

"Don't sound so shocked. It's what coup…it's expected, right?"

"I guess."

"It's under your pillow in your dorm."

"How'd you get it there?"

"Details," Tom shrugged, looking away from her. Michelle's brow furrowed slightly as she wondered how he had managed to get something in her dorm, but she passed over the thought as they arrived at her transfiguration class.

"Well, this is me," Michelle's shoulders inched up as a faint blush tinted her cheeks.

"Yeah…Have a good class," Tom leaned down, brushing his lips across her right cheek before whirling around and walking off. Michelle watched him leave, her blush growing as her cheek tingled, and finally entered the classroom.

It was lunchtime and Michelle had been stolen away by Magdalene, Kelly, and Regina for a picnic. The three girls were sitting on a red blanket under a tree by the Black Lake, munching cucumber sandwiches and crisps, when Michelle saw Tom standing at the top of the hill. He was standing with his usual perfect posture, the gentle breeze causing his cloak to billow softly back, away from his body, and blowing his hair back from his flawless face. Michelle forgot to breathe.

"Michelle, are you okay?" Regina asked. She followed the Hufflepuff's gaze and her jaw dropped. "Oh my god, we should leave. He looks mad."

"He's not mad," Michelle muttered. In the time she had spent with him, she had definitely learned what his angry face looked like. This wasn't it. If anything, he looked worried. "I'll see you guys later," Michelle stood, brushing her skirt down.

"Your loooooss," Kelly taunted. "We didn't even get to the pudding!" Michelle didn't even look back.

Michelle reached the top of the hill where Tom was standing. "Is something wrong?" Tom stood silently, staring at her. Michelle shifted her weight nervously. "Tom?"

"We should talk." Tom took Michelle's hand and led her into the castle.

They walked up several staircases and down many abandoned hallways before Tom finally stopped at a locked door.

"Alohamora." The door clicked open and Tom led Michelle inside. He closed the door behind them and leaned his forehead against the grainy wood.

"Tom, what's wrong?" He held his hand out to her and she took it. Tom gently pulled her close, hugging her to his body, his chin resting on the crown of her head. Michelle nestled into the hug, though her stomach knotted up. "I'm worried for you, Tom. Tell me what's going on?" Her voice was pleading. She felt Tom turn his head to rest an alabaster cheek on her head as a hand rubbed softly on her back.

"You complicate things, Michelle."

"What do you mean?" she looked up into his eyes, almost hurt by his statement.

Tom release her and turned, taking one step away, "I mean that before that night, when I found you in the library, I was sure of everything. I was always right, I knew everything that I wanted. But you…you've changed me, Michelle. Every time you were obstinate, I wanted nothing more than to hit you, to hex you into oblivion. No one contradicts me, ever.

When you look at me, I feel like you're looking right through me, to my very core. And I don't want you to know the monster that I am."

"You're not a monster, Tom."

"Yes, I am! You have no idea, Michelle. You're so innocent…so gentle…" he cradled her cheek in his hand, "You're too good for me…"

Michelle placed her hand on his, holding his palm against her skin, "What are you talking about?"

"Michelle…If I tell you, you'd never forgive me. You wouldn't want to ever see me again." Michelle had never seen Tom's eyes so full of emotion. He had always been so stoic and calm. But now it seemed as if he could crumble at a mere breath.

"Tom, whatever it is you're dealing with, I want to help. I'm here for you. Forever," Michelle stepped forward, wrapping her arms around the Slytherin, holding him close. Tom reciprocated the gesture and they stayed that way for several minutes.

"You should go to your dorm."

"Alright," Michelle said. They released each other and Michelle left, looking back at Tom before she closed the door.

She entered her dorm and walked to her bed, sitting on it. She stared at the pillow for a few long moments before lifting it to find a small black box. Her heartbeat quickened as she picked it up and opened it. Inside was a gold locket. She lifted the necklace from the box and opened it to see a picture of her and Tom together, holding hands and walking along the shore of the lake. There was an inscription as well. It read "As long as we're together, we are whole."

**AN: Wow. This chapter was just supposed to be fluff, but it took on a life of its own and progressed the plot as well!! Please review, people! I really like reading your reviews and want to know what you think of the story, and I'd like to know how you think it's going to progress! Love you all!!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Michelle hadn't spoken to Tom for a whole week. She was really beginning to worry. But she had a plan. She went down to Hogsmeade with Kelly, Regina and Magdalene for a shopping trip, and while there, she commissioned a piece of jewelry. A locket very much like her own, though she asked the jeweler to make it more masculine, with the same enchanted picture. But the inscription was personalized. She had spent lots of time deciding on a message, and ended up with "You are my life, I am your soul, we'll be together wherever we go." It was cheesy, but Michelle felt that it conveyed her feelings accurately. Plus it rhymed, which was always romantic.

Michelle had enlisted Kelly's help to get the locket into Tom's room.

"Alright, Meech. This is it. Are you sure you're ready?" Kelly's eyes were serious.

"All we have to do is knock on the door. You said that Zane's going to let us in."

"Well…yeah, but…in order to get to the dungeons undetected, we're going to have to be agile, stealthy, and very quick."

"It's not after curfew, though. And you're a prefect, so it doesn't matter if we're caught."

"You take the fun out of everything," Kelly rolled her eyes. The two made their way toward the dungeons, Michelle striding normally, Kelly crouching and darting through the hallways.

They arrived in the Slytherin common room and Michelle snuck into the boy's dorm. She slid the locket, in its box, under Tom's pillow, and left.

The next day, Michelle was packed for a short visit home over a weekend break. She knew Tom would be staying at Hogwarts, and would have loved to bring him with her to meet her family, but as her parents and sister were muggles, she didn't want Tom to feel out of his element.

"Tom?" Michelle knocked on his door.

He answered, "Yeah?" Michelle walked in.

"I'm leaving in a few minutes."

"I see."

"I'll be back Sunday night."

"Fine."

"Call me? I know you don't like muggle things, but the headmaster has a phone in his office. Here's my home number," she handed Tom a piece of paper.

"Yeah, I'll do that." Tom reached out and hugged Michelle tightly. "I love you, Michelle," he whispered.

"I love you too," Michelle nestled into the hug, burying her face in his chest.

Michelle left silently, her hand lingering in Tom's grasp for as long as possible.

Michelle had arrived in her hometown of Oxford, and had decided to meet with some of her muggle friends at a downtown café. They had spent several hours catching up, enjoying the beautiful weather, but now it was time to part. Michelle lived only four blocks away, so she had opted to walk. She found herself two blocks away from her house when footsteps echoed behind her.

She turned to see a tall man walking in her direction. He wore dark clothes and his face was shadowed. "Can I help you?" Michelle's voice wavered unconsciously. The streetlight caught the chain of Michelle's locket, causing it to twinkle in the dark, and the man's arm moved.

A single shot.

Michelle fell to the ground, gasping for air as a searing pain spread through her body. Yells were heard as the man, who had moved forward, reached out and grabbed Michelle's purse. Strangers ran out of their houses as the man ran off. Michelle reached to her chest, grabbing at her locket.

"To…"

The phone was ringing.

"Hello?" Tom heard from the other end, a woman's voice choked with tears.

"Is Michelle home?" Sobbing. "Ma'am?" There was a clatter as Michelle's mother dropped the phone. She had found out minutes earlier that her daughter was dead, and could not handle the explanation that she would have to give.

Tom hung up the phone and stormed to his room. Michelle, the one person that he had ever loved, had been murdered by a muggle. Tom grabbed his pillow and, screaming, chucked it across the room, knocking over another boy's alarm clock. He turned back to his bed, clutching his head, throwing himself down. He lay there, sobbing, before looking up to see a small black box sitting in front of him. He reached out with a shaking hand and took it, opening it slowly. He pulled the locket out of the box and opened it.

"You are my life, I am your soul, we'll be together wherever we go." Tom collapsed forward, crying.

. . .

Back in Oxford, tucked away in a small evidence bag, Michelle's locket sat. The chain was intact, but the locket itself was broken. The enchanted picture was split with almost poetic precision, down the middle, and the magical images of Tom and Michelle were separated, and Michelle lay peacefully on the shore of the Black Lake, while Tom was laying, his head in his hands, his chest heaving with silent tears. The half of the locket which held the inscription was also broken. The only readable part of it, "we are together".

. . .

"Michelle…you are my soul," Tom whispered. He was cloaked in black, surrounded by his followers. In his left hand he clutched his locket. "Avada kedavra."

**AN: I hope you guys liked it. I know it was pretty evil of me to end it like this, but Tom did have to become Voldemort…please review and let me know what you think!!**


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